Once enemies, forever enemies Or not?
by Kinnu
Summary: One-shot. Are Draco and Hermione doomed to be enemies forever or can they become friends, perhaps more, by a stroke of luck? Fate works in strange ways. But only Merlin knows...


**Read and Enjoy!**

_**Draco POV**_

I was sauntering down Diagon Alley on a hot Thursday afternoon, to pick up the clothes my mother had ordered from Madame Malkin's. According to her, the clothes couldn't possibly be delivered to Malfoy Manor since the scion of the Malfoy House had to be seen around Diagon Alley to improve the name. As if.

Realising I was whistling and had a sour look on my face, I stopped immediately. It wouldn't be the thing to be caught whistling or with such a face expression. Merlin-forbid my mother ever finds out about it... If she ever did, I'd rather pick Aunt Bella for torture lessons.

As for the world, I didn't have the time to mend fences with any of my school 'friends' (or enemies) except Pansy and Blaise, who never really left me anyway, but left the country and came back to Britain around 4 months ago. I was too caught up in keeping the Malfoy industries afloat, not losing investors, giving reparations to the Ministry and such.

Amidst all this, I couldn't get the image of a certain bushy-haired girl out of my head. I knew I'd never have a chance at showing her how much I cared. At least I was able to save her from extended torture in Malfoy Manor. Not that it's enough compensation for all the things I've said and done, but isn't a little bit better than nothing? I held a hand to the cheek she slapped in our third year, reliving not-so-fond memories.

Not looking where I was going, I knocked someone down. Stopping in place, I slowly schooled my look into uninterested boredom. I was going to have to pick them up and apologise at some point of time or the press would have a field day with headlines like 'Malfoy heir as arrogant as ever!' or 'Draco Malfoy- above everyone else?' Sighing, I extended a hand and waited for who-ever-it-was, so I could give the 'prescribed apology' when they picked themselves off the ground.

The person was still sprawled on the ground after a few minutes of me awkwardly holding my hand in the air and I looked down as the person gasped, "Malfoy?"

I couldn't quite believe my ears and eyes."Granger?" I said, still not quite believing it as she lifted herself up with her hands and I was left with my hand hanging in the air. I snatched his hand back and stuck it in my pocket, all the while looking at her. At least I wasn't standing with my mouth open like that blubber Weasley, I thought as she muttered things like 'second time today' and 'idiot' while trying to brush the soot and dust off her back. Feeling particularly helpful, I cast a quick 'Scourgify' before asking her with my customary drawl, "Aren't you a witch? Knocked a few brain cells loose, Granger? I'll have to pick them up if you have too many to spare... "

That startled her out of her monologue about 'brainless buffoons' and she looked inquiringly at me. "Malfoy, did you just compliment me in a roundabout way?" she asked with a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Me? Compliment you?" I acted flabbergasted at her words but I could feel a smile fighting to break through. And break through it did as I beamed at her. But all that the big smile did was making her pass out.

Thankfully, we were just a little distance away from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and I carried her dead weight in my arms with a suitably concerned expression just in case someone thought I was making off with her after cursing her in broad daylight.

Then, gently placing her in one of the chairs in one of the more private areas so no unwanted rumours would fly, I murmured, "Rennervate". Her eyes fluttered open and it took a bare minute for her to take stock of her surroundings. She quickly pulled her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at my nose.

"Cool down, Granger," I said calmly as I pushed her wand down from my face because I wanted no part damaged, "You fainted and I carried you in so you wouldn't be lying face-down in Diagon Alley. No harm done!"

"Oh! Uh...Thanks Malfoy. Just don't smile again?" she said-no, asked- as I smirked and leaned back further in my chair before saying, "Girls have swooned on seeing me, Granger. It's the first time anyone's ever fainted."

Seeing the disapproving look on her face, I changed the subject. "I ordered Chocolate chip for you and Elaichi for me. Okay with you?" I tentatively asked for I didn't want to be hexed. The nervousness hopefully didn't show on my face as I stared blankly at her.

"Chocolate chip?" she asked as our orders arrived. Closing her eyes in delight after having a spoon, she tilted her head slightly as she regarded me, "How did you know it was my favourite?"

Not wanting her to discover anything about my er...fondness for her, I mockingly raised an eyebrow and said, "Granger, the whole of Hogsmeade knows your favourite flavour. Your shrieks could be heard till the Shrieking Shack whenever you got a double scoop."

Her cheeks coloured as she muttered, "I wasn't so loud, Malfoy. You're just cooking up stories..."

"Cooking?" I opened my eyes in feigned surprise and added, "I've never seen the inside of a kitchen, Granger. Forget the cooking!"

I found I was entertaining enough to make her laugh. I noticed the way her eyes twinkled, her lips turned up and she glowed when she laughed. I was so immersed in observing her that I caught only the last part of her sentence. "-of course, pureblood-extraordinaire." That got me the gist of what she must have said.

"I'm not like that anymore, Granger. Don't think me to be. I'm... I'm sorry for all I've done over the years. I can't take it back but I hope you'll give me the chance to make it up to you. If you will..." Funny, I thought, the first person I'm apologising to is Granger. The way fate works, unknowingly trapping us and leading us along paths it wishes us to take.

Granger seemed to be considering my 'almost' apology when I looked up at her again. The same thought must have flashed through our heads at the same time, for we looked at each other, surprised. Here we were, sitting like friends who'd known each other forever, with no awkwardness or reserve, when actually, we were enemies in a war and hated each other since childhood.

"You can smile this time...Would you like to be friends with me, Malfoy?" she asked as she smiled at me.

Not wanting to pass away a chance handed to me on a platter, I said, returning the smile, "It would be my pleasure, Granger. It would."

Her eyes widened when I got up and pulled out her chair when she tried to rise. I battled to urge to tell her that she might as well get used to it since I wasn't going to treat her like the oaf Weasley but I wisely held my tongue. I had no intention of earning displeasure so early in our... in our new relationship, if I might call it that.

As she turned to leave, I called out to her and hopefully asked. "Granger, would you go out with me for dinner? Dinner at the Munching Mermen at six?"

She bit her lip before smiling slightly and answering, "Sure. Just dinner. Tomorrow at six." before walking out of the door, the bells jingling in her wake as I stood there, grinning like a maniac. When I walked out of the door myself after paying the bill, I barely noticed the girls who swooned... Actually, I did. Why else would I be saying this?

I started to get ready at 3 just in case. I took an hour to pick out a suit to wear, rummaging through my wide collection, finally settling on a black one. It brought out the grey in my eyes. Then, it took me another hour to set my hair to an acceptable bed-hair look. By the time it was 5, I was appraising myself in the mirror. Yes, I am vain!

Then I started pacing and telling myself, "Slytherins are never early anywhere. "

I lost that fight anyway and the next thing I knew, I was in front of The Munching Mermen staring at the picture of a fish?

Shaking my head at my own impatience and nervousness, I squared my shoulders and settled to wait after picking a sufficiently secluded table. It wouldn't do to have ourselves on the front page of tomorrow's Prophet.

It seems she was as nervous as I. She came in at around 5:30 and didn't immediately look for me. I supposed she thought I would be late. When the waiter led her to our table and I got my first full glimpse of her, my jaw was threatening to be slack. She was wearing a strapless red dress and just enough make-up. She'd tamed her curls and they hung lightly about her face in soft curls. Only my amazing self-control held me back from making an utter fool of myself. So I got up as she came nearer and waved the waiter away, pulling out her chair for her and whispered in her ear, "You look exquisite, _Madame._ "

She turned so she could see my eyes, bringing her face closer to mine. I took me all of what I am to hold back from leaning forward and kissing her. I told myself we'd become friends just today and I shouldn't go around kissing her. She whispered back, "You don't look all that bad yourself, _Monsieur. "_

That brought a wry smile to my eyes. Except Pansy and now Hermione, no one ever stopped gushing about my handsomeness on a date. It reminded me of how special it was...she was, and how I shouldn't be messing it up.

I took my own seat and we ordered a special, broiled salmon with miso glaze for two as another waiter returned with a bottle of wine.

I toasted to friendship before taking a sip as she toasted to new starts before taking a sip herself.

As the dish arrived, we settled into friendly conversation while eating.

"So...what do you do, Malfoy? Roll around in the gold because you have too much to spare?"

The hurt must have shown on my face despite my attempts to be impassive, because she immediately said, "No offense intended, Malfoy."

I acknowledged her before saying, "Actually, Granger, I am the CEO of Malfoy Industries. We have shares in various businesses including WWW." That brought a wry smile to my face and a raised eyebrow from her. I immediately defended myself, "Hey, it's profitable and George is nice." All that statement did was make her raise both eyebrows. I sighed and resigned myself to the fact that she had a knack of making me show my _real_ feelings.

Leaning back in my chair with the wine glass in hand, I asked her, "What are you going to do, Granger? Heard you got too many NEWTS to boot."

I saw a look of deep satisfaction on her face as she proceeded to tell me of her career plans... I was watching the play of emotions on her face and caught only some tit-bits like 'Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures' and 'Department of Magical Law Enforcement'. I made the noises in the right places (this came from years attending pointless balls with people having too much to talk and nothing useful) but otherwise my attention was riveted on her, not her words.

When she finally stopped and asked me for an opinion, instead of showing my ignorance, I asked her if she would consider working for my company.

She was curious about the system in my company but I told her that if she exhausted all topics of conversation in the first dinner, we wouldn't have anything else to talk about later. That brought a cute pout to her face and a smile to mine.

We finished our meals and rose with me pulling out her chair again. As we walked out, she inquired, "Do you pull out chairs all the time?"

Putting an offended look on my face, I told her, "Oh Granger! Don't think I'm a footman. I only pull out chairs for my mother, Pansy and _you."_

That had her smiling as she retorted, "So how do you know what a footman is?"

"Everyone knows that. My great great grandfather Malfoy had one." I puffed up my chest at the mention of my family.

"Oh! "was all she said for we didn't want an argument to start and so that topic was deferred for further reference.

Standing out in front of the restaurant, I asked her if she wanted to roam around for a while. She apologetically told me she had to prepare for job interviews and needed to go home.

Telling myself there would be a lot of time to spend with her later, I asked her if she'd like me to escort her home.

She shook her head at me and told me, "You're so old-fashioned, Malfoy. I can get home safely." Then she kissed me. Kissed me, Draco Malfoy. After a second that I took to realise she was kissing me, I was kissing her back. I was holding her close by her waist and she had both her hands around my neck. It was magical and... I had no words to express the sheer pleasure of kissing her. Sweet, soft and determined kisses. Just like her.

She then pulled back, smiled at me and disapparated on spot, saying, "See you soon, _Draco._" I was standing there, in the middle of the path, smiling goofily as I said back, after she had long gone, "See you too, _Hermione._"

I couldn't stop myself from beaming and whistling as I walked to re-live the kiss in my head before I apparated home. I was so involved in my thoughts that I didn't notice the girls who swooned this time. Actually...I noticed this time too. Why else would I know? Then again, why wouldn't they faint?

I was me.

**Now that you've read it, review please...**


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